If you’re heading to Spain this summer and planning to visit multiple cities – I highly recommend that you plan to take the train. Rental car rates are astronomical this summer and Spain has a high speed train network that’s easy to navigate and moves you quickly across the country.
When we traveled to Spain, we took the high speed train from Valencia to Madrid and then from Madrid to Seville. We also took a local train from Seville to Cordoba for a day trip. We found the train to be easy to navigate, comfortable and fast. Plus, because we weren’t flying, we didn’t need to arrive an hour or more before a flight, so we felt comfortable taking early morning trains and had no trouble arriving on time. Here are a few benefits of taking the train in Spain.
Easy to Navigate
Renfe, the company that operates all of the trains in Spain, offers direct routes between major cities as well between major cities and the surrounding areas. The high speed trains make limited stops between major cities and are a little more expensive, but move much quicker than their local counterparts. Trains run frequently and really do stay on schedule.
Plan to arrive 15-20 minutes ahead of your departure time to ensure that you get your ticket punched and get down to the track in time. Trains stop for 5-10 minutes at the beginning and end of their routes, but only stop briefly at stops in between, so be ready to board quickly and on time. When you purchase your ticket you will get a seat assigned to you. Check you ticket before boarding to ensure you get on to the correct car. You can walk between train cars, but if possible, its easiest to board your car directly.
Comfortable
The trains are very comfortable and the seats were spacious with plenty of leg room. There were luggage racks in each train car and some trains had overhead shelves to put additional bags. There was also plenty of room on the floor if you needed it. The seats reclined, but they were so comfortable that we didn’t even need to. There were also outlets in each seat for charging your phone and decent wifi available. The local trains were a little less comfortable, but still far more comfortable than an airplane seat would have been. On the high speed trains, there was a food car where you could purchase food and beverages.
Fast
The high speed trains take you across Spain in far less time than driving. Even the local train from Seville to Cordoba, which we picked because it was cheaper than it’s high speed counterpart, was faster than if we had rented a car. And, the train stations are all located right in the downtown area, which means you can easily get to and from the station by foot or taxi.
If you’re heading to Spain, I would definitely consider planning your trip to include taking the train. I recommend that you purchase your tickets ahead of time. While you cannot buy tickets months in advance, ticket prices may increase as you get closer to your travel day.
Have you traveled through Spain on the train?
